Part of a larger Program Project application dealing with fundamental and applied neuroendocrinology in the field of reproduction, growth, stress and diabetes. Specifically it is proposed to establish the physiology of the recently isolated hypothalmic growth hormone releasing factor, in particular to assess its activity on tissues other than the adenohypophysis such as pancreas (re. secretion of insulin and glucagon), the gut (re. secretion of VIP), the stomach (re. secretion of gastrin). To produce antisera against GRF for designing and validating a radio immunoassay to GRF and for establishing a mapping of GRF by immunohistochemistry. To synthesize large quantities of GRF for clinical studies in normal individuals and patients with juvenile or maturity onset diabetes and several types of growth problems. To characterize and synthesize the hypothalmic endorphin-corticotropin-releasing-factor; to characterize several corticotrophic factors other than ACTH, in particular a factor controlling the secretion of androgens by the adrenal cortex (androtropin). To characterize multiple forms of native somatostatin from central nervous system, pancreas and other peripheral sources. To devise new methods of analytical and structural chemistry of extremely high sensitivity eventually leading to the ability to sequence polypeptides in the range of one nanomole.